Gerrard will have no problems, says Rodgers

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is confident Steven Gerrard
can handle any taunts that may come his way when Chelsea visit
Anfield on Tuesday.

Gerrard has been repeatedly mocked by Chelsea fans after a
costly slip that led to Demba Ba opening the scoring when the two
sides met in April, with Liverpool subsequently suffering a 2-0
defeat and finishing behind Manchester City in the race for the
Premier League title.

Ahead of this week's League Cup semi-final between the two
sides, which will see Liverpool host the first leg, Jose Mourinho
spoke of his admiration for Gerrard and suggested Chelsea's fans
should bring an end to their repeated taunting of the former
England captain.

Rodgers acknowledged Mourinho's respect for a player the
Portuguese tried to sign in his first spell as Chelsea boss, but
believes Gerrard will not be fazed should he come in for further
criticism.

"I think Jose is probably talking out of respect for a player
that is one of the best that this league has ever seen," said
Rodgers.

"I think sometimes the players get a wee bit of stick, maybe
once or twice, but this was ongoing.

"I reiterate that Steven was a big part of the reason that we
challenged for the title. It wasn't because of his slip that we
lost it. He was a big part of why we nearly won it.

"But he's a strong character and knows how to cope with that,
and has dealt with it all his career. He will have no problem
dealing with it."